Come see Nadine Luther as she presents Pieces of Pittsburgh; an intimate look at Pittsburgh’s extraordinary architecture.

Nadine Luther is a local Pittsburgh architectural photographer who loves to capture the beauty and essence of downtown and its surrounding areas, whether it is the crisp clean lines of the newer architecture, or the beautiful and intricate stonework of the older structures.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business: Hello I'm Linden and I am the creator of paper.glue.scissors. I gained an admiration for papers from around the world when I began working as a buyer at a fine paper store in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2007. I found myself constantly purchasing papers with amazing patterns and textures made from plants, linens and barks without any real plan for them besides spreading them out on my bed occasionally to just admire them. I primarily worked in metals at the time, making jewelry pieces out of sterling silver and gold. The price of metal began to escalate and one day I looked at the hundreds of sheets of paper i had accrued and decided that it was time I took some scissors to those beautiful things and create with them. Today I am still using bits and pieces of those papers that started it all.

How did you come up with your business name? paper.glue.scissors is a bit of word play on the game rock paper scissors and they also happen to be supplies I use on a daily basis.

If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead, who would it be and why? My aunt Heidi. She passed away suddenly a few years ago and I still find myself making mental lists of all of the things I know she would enjoy hearing about.

What inspires you? Pattern, color, music and adventure.

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why?My Yuzen paper earrings. Each pair is made from a small part of a 2 foot by 3 foot sheet of paper, so you never know exactly what part of the design you will end up with. No two pairs are can be exactly alike.

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that's not one of your own? There were two items that I have been eyeing for awhile and finally purchased them this past weekend...
A Takopus kitty with tentacles print that looks great hanging over our coffee bar and a charcoal complexion bar from Natrielle that makes your face feel amazing!

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations? If you love creating and it makes you happy do it everyday and there will be people who think you're crazy but there will also be someone who will love what you make as much as you love what you make and that creates two happy people which can lead to three and then four and so on....

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

How did you come up with your business name? There are a few reasons that made "Indulgence" the perfect name for my Bath & Body Products. First, I use all edible ingredients, many of which are used to make some of the most indulgent desserts, such as sugar, cocoa, cooking extracts, and meringue powder. Also, most of the products are scented to remind you of those same treats (and some of them even look like them). Second, the products are rich, and indulgent for the skin, leaving it supple, moisturized, and soft. Third, we tend to think the act of Pampering ourselves with things like bubble baths, sugar scrubs, and rich lotions is quite indulgent. I say "Go ahead, indulge!"

Where do you live? I live in the South Hills. My husband and I just bought our first house in Brentwood.

Who’s in your family? My immediate family is my husband, Sam, and our furbaby Ninja. Hopefully we will be adding some real babies soon!

If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead, who would it be and why? I would have to say my grandfather. He was my absolute favorite person in the world, very kind and wise. I think he would have all kinds of great advice for "grown up" me.

What inspires you? I am mostly inspired by my family, friends, and clients. My line started with sugar scrub and lotion, to use during the manicures and pedicures I provide in my mobile spa party business. Every other product was inspired by someone I knew either having a skincare issue, as a gift for someone, or to use in a spa service (sometimes all of the above).

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why? My favorite item is the aloe & green tea moisture serum because of its many uses. I love a multi-tasker, which is why this little superhero is my favorite. The moisture serum is an oil-free facial moisturizer, but it also acts as a make up setting spray, and can soothe and promote healing in minor cuts, scrapes, rashes, and burns (especially sunburn).

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that’s not one of your own and why?I love the letter Photography. I have my eye on a framed Pitt Picture that my Brother would LOVE.

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations? The best advice I can give is to only make/sell things that you would want to buy yourself. If you stay passionate about it, it will show in your work and others will see it in you. Also, try to make things that you couldn't find anywhere else. Being unique is the best way to get people to come back for more!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business: Hello! Takopus Ink is made up of husband and wife duo Jenny and Eric Contakos. We create all manner of tentacle-y things to wear and hang on the wall. From mixed media wall octopus to screenprinted upcycled tees and a few other things in between, we bring a small part of the cephalopod world to dry land.

How did you come up with your business name?

Our business name is an amalgamation of our last name, Contakos, and our main subject, the octopus. Tako is also the Japanese word for octopus-a convenient bonus!

Where do you live?

We live right in the heart of old Allegheny City-that’s the Allegheny Center area of the North Side for you young’uns.

Who’s in your family?

Our family is made up of cats Aella, Nate, and Maggie and their human servants Eric and Jenny.

If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?

We would love to meet Salvador Dali. He had an incredible mind, a sweet mustache, made brilliant art, and had a rare Colombian ocelot named Babou. Babou is the coolest!

What inspires you?

Obviously we love things with tentacles! We started Takopus Ink as a creative outlet. We both work daytime desk jobs and we think it’s important to explore and undertake artistic endeavors and have art around us.

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why?

Our mixed media wall octopus are classically Takopus and so fun to make because they all have different personalities.

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that’s not one of your own and why?

Pittsburgh Pottery is great - one of us wants a Jagoff mug really, really bad.

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations?

Get out and talk to people, show off your art, believe in your talent, and give Instagram a try.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business: My name is Suzi Fortunato. I love to use up every bit of stuff. I sew aprons (my favorite item, they are indestructible) and potholders from old clothing, tie dye, crochet...anything that pops into my head. Taking old, unwearable jeans, cutting them apart and making something new, fun and useful is so satisfying to me. It is a challenge to use every scrap, repurposing and keeping all that good material out of the landfill. I love it!

How did you come up with your business name? I sew with a general idea and allow the fabric to dictate the end product. One idea leads to another...meandering around...Meanderer! My friend Elle, an organic farmer, needed good, sturdy reusable bags when selling her produce. She also asked for kitchen items. We wanted to use the unusable. With her help, an idea took off.

Where do you live? My family and I live in the south hills of Pittsburgh.Who’s in your family? I have three grown up kids, two are professional artists. My dog is a very talented sleeper.

If you could sit down and talk to any person, living or dead, who would it be and why? I would love to talk to my mom and dad again, just to tell them thank you.

What inspires you? Remaking. Recycling, repurposing.

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why? Aprons out of old clothing, especially the ones made out of denim.

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that’s not one of your own and why? It is so much fun to see what other people create. I love the batik items in Boutique 208. I can't do that and am sooo jealous!

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations? It's been said too many times, but do what you love. Keep the creative side of you alive and working. It is who you are.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your handmade business: My name is Deanna Marley. I was raised from an early age here in the countryside of Western Pennsylvania. I have always been a somewhat simple, natural person who also enjoys the luxuries of life. Our biz started as a hobby making DIY natural household cleaners and then moving on to natural bath products. After watching a sister-in-law journey through breast cancer, my research for natural skin products really stepped up. After all, it's not only what you eat but what you put on your skin that affects your overall health. After researching countless ingredient labels and properties, it became apparent that cosmetic companies are making us unhealthy by adding (and even hiding) chemicals and toxins in their products. Mother earth offers us an abundance of low cost, healthy, natural ingredients and it is my desire to formulate them into luxurious, skin-beneficial products affordable for everyone. Now you will know EXACTLY what goes into the products your skin ingests.

How did you come up with your business name? Using our family surname and then the word Naturals signifying from what (nature) and how (naturally) our products are made.

Where do you live? Level Green, PA which is a small town way east of Pittsburgh.

What is your favorite item you make for Boutique 208 and why? I have two--The essential oil soaps because they are 100% natural, simple but unique and smell great and the facial products because they truly do work by helping women look and feel better.

What is your favorite item at Boutique 208 that's not one of your own and why? The handbags and messenger bags because a girl can never have enough bags and shoes!

What advice can you offer to someone who would like to start selling their handmade creations? Just do it! You have nothing to lose and everything to share with the rest of us!